Written Answers Wednesday 1 July 2009

Scottish Executive

National Conversation

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs have been of the National Conversation, also broken down by (a) staffing, (b) holding and attending events, (c) publicity, (d) publication and design, (e) branding and staging materials and (f) other.

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs have been of the development of the planned independence referendum legislation, including staffing costs.

Michael Russell: The National Conversation is successfully engaging the people of Scotland in the debate about Scotland’s constitutional future. There have been nearly half a million hits on the National Conversation web pages; over 3,500 people have attended public events across Scotland; and the voluntary sector, churches and other faith groups, trade unions, ethnic minority groups, universities, the media and Scotland’s young people are all taking part.

  In relation to staff costs, I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23203 on 1 July 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

  The cost of holding events directly organised and paid for by the Scottish Government since the start of the National Conversation is £56,907. The Scottish Government does not hold information about the cost of events organised and paid for by others. The costs of publishing policy documents related to the National Conversation stands at £55,144. One-off costs of £10,836 have been incurred for branding and staging materials.

National Conversation

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff (a) have been and (b) are employed on the National Conversation coordination team and at what cost.

Michael Russell: The team which manages the National Conversation and referendum is responsible for the Government’s policy on developing Scotland’s constitution, and responding to related initiatives such as the UK Government’s Governance of Britain programme, the Commission on Scottish Devolution, the All Wales Convention, the Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales.

  Staff costs from the formation of the team to April 2009 amounted to £341,256. As of April 2009 the equivalent of 11.3 full time staff are engaged on these activities. The member should also be aware that a core team of three officials prepared the information on borrowing powers provided to the Commission on Scottish Devolution at the request of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, and over twenty officials were involved in the response to the factual questions asked by the commission.